Lead Contract Specialist

Patent and Trademark Office • Alexandria, VA

5h • Onsite

About The Position

The USPTO's Office of Procurement is seeking talented acquisition leaders committed to delivering innovative, effective, efficient, and compliant procurement solutions to our strategic business partners and agency stakeholders. Join the USPTO, America's Innovation Agency supporting a diverse, nationwide workforce who work every day with innovators to protect their ideas and hard work! The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per leave year.

Requirements

• United States Citizens and Nationals.
• Resume and question responses must demonstrate job-related competencies.
• Meet the definition of specialized experience.
• Pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• Meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
• Suitable for Federal Employment.
• Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• Completion of OGE Form 450 Financial Disclosure form.
• FAC-C (Professional) is required.
• Meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements).
• Meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement.
• One full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-13) in the Federal service.
• Specialized experience includes: Experience leading the planning, negotiating, and administration of federal acquisitions of goods, systems, and services from acquisition planning through contract closeout.
• Experience interpreting the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and supplemental acquisition policies to identify and analyze procurement issues and their impact.
• Experience selecting appropriate contract types and pricing structures for complex procurements.
• Experience reviewing or auditing acquisitions to present findings and recommend corrective actions.
• Experience developing and preparing new and innovative procurement methods and approaches to better achieve agency objectives.
• Experience providing contract and procurement coaching, direction, or resolution of complex problems to peers and/or customers.
• Experience performing the duties of a warranted Contracting Officer, executing and administering contract actions.
• A four (4)-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
• Applicants currently holding a FAC-C/DAWIA Level III certification are considered to have met all mandatory training requirements for this announcement. You must submit your certification with application package.

Nice To Haves

• Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions.
• At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.
• Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience.
• If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.
• Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing major acquisitions of similar complexity, presenting findings, and recommending corrective actions and policy or procedure improvements.
• Planning, negotiating, leading and/or administering complex procurements of goods, systems, or services with specialized, state-of-the art, critical or scarce requirements.
• Reviewing, advising on, developing, and recommending operating unit-wide or agency-wide procurement processes, systems, procedures, and policies.
• Leading a team of subordinate employees in substantive contracting and procurement work.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior